Results

Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline was 77.5 (±10; n = 12) according to the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (EDTRS) letter score and changed to 89 letters (±9.9; p = 0.0003) at long-term follow-up (83.8 ± 4.8 months after PDT). Baseline contrast sensitivity (CS) was 29.5 ± 4.5 Pelli–Robson letters and increased to 34.5 ± 4.5 letters at long term (p < 0.0006). Baseline central foveal thickness (CFT) was 419 μm and decreased to 242 µm at long term (p < 0.0001). The long-term vision-related quality of life of patients was similar to that of controls.

Conclusion

ICGA-guided half-fluence PDT with verteporfin results in excellent long-term visual improvement in BCVA and CS, a significant reduction of CFT, and high levels of VR QOL.

Notes

Compliance with ethical guidelines

Conflict of interest

Ethical standards

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1975 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.